The present invention relates generally to the temporary shelter, outdoor recreation and camping arts, and more specifically to an integrated foldable tent-cot for use in such environments.
Foldable cots with shelter attachments are known in the art. Conventional cot-shelters include at least two separate components and require multiple steps for assembly. For example, the foldable cot is expanded; an additional shelter frame is assembled on the expanded cot; and the shelter is separately attached to the shelter frame. Thus, assembly is time consuming and assembly could be complicated without detailed assembly instructions.
The use of separate components in conventional cot-shelters in the prior art are also problematic for storage and transport. Specifically, it is difficult to collectively store the components in one location, i.e., a carrying bag, because the multiple components must be separately collapsed and individually inserted into the carrying bag in a compact fashion. This often times requires much effort and time. Moreover, the presence of separate components increases the possibility of loss of parts, especially smaller connection parts such as nuts, bolts and the like.
Therefore, a need exists for a foldable cot with an integrated shelter that requires minimal assembly and disassembly, and that is easy to store.